Canyon Raises More Than $90,000 for the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 6, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Children from the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica will be joyfully celebrating this holiday season thanks in part to a generous donation from employees, business associates and friends of Canyon Capital Realty Advisors (CCRA). On Thursday, December 9, employees from CCRA will join 160 children at the Boys & Girls Club for a pizza and cupcake party, where each guest will receive a new backpack filled with school supplies and a $60 Foot Locker gift card for a pair of new sneakers.

At the end of the evening, CCRA Managing Partner Bobby Turner will also present a check totaling over $92,000 which will provide, among other things, the necessary funding for a renovation of the Teen Room, a relocation and refurbishing of the art room, and new carpeting, pop-up tables and chairs for the facility's relocated Multipurpose Room. About a third of the funds will also be directed to support the Club's college mentoring program.

The non-profit Boys & Girls Club, founded in Santa Monica more than 60 years ago, strives to enable all young people, especially those with the greatest needs, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. Programs in Santa Monica are offered at two branch locations, and at Santa Monica High, John Adams and Lincoln Middle Schools, and McKinley and Roosevelt Elementary Schools.

The backpacks, supplies and gift cards will be given in support of the Family Assistance Program at the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club. Each year, the program provides the most deserving families with food, clothing and presents. For many families, being a recipient of the Family Assistance Fund is the only time they will receive new clothes or toys throughout the year.

"The Santa Monica Boys and Girls Club is near and dear to all of us at Canyon. We look forward to spending time with these kids each December, and we are delighted to continue supporting an organization that is so important for young people in Los Angeles," said Turner. "At a time when the needs of our community are greater than ever, we believe that providing new supplies and a renovated facility, as well as support for these students to prepare for college entry, is a great way to make a real and meaningful difference in the lives of these children."

"Once again, we are thrilled that Canyon will be helping to kick off the holiday season for the kids at the Boys & Girls Club," said Aaron Young, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club. "During these times of economic uncertainty, Canyon's support is especially inspirational. Their generous donation will enable us to continue preparing local youth with the skills they need to thrive in their communities today and into the future."

About the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica

Founded in 1944, Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica currently serves approximately 7,000 youth through memberships and community outreach. They come from all over Los Angeles County, largely from Santa Monica, Venice, West Los Angeles and Inglewood. Members pay a $10 annual fee for access to all Club amenities and programs that span across education, leadership, recreation and more.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica operates with the objective of serving children from all backgrounds, regardless of economic circumstances – ensuring that youth ages 7 to 18 have a safe and nurturing environment to develop socially, succeed in school, stay physically active and prepare for positive futures.

Canyon Capital Realty Advisors LLC and its affiliate Canyon Capital Advisors LLC are registered investment advisors and money management firms based in Los Angeles, California, with approximately $20 billion of capital under management. Canyon’s real estate investment activities focus on providing debt and equity capital to real estate owners, operators, developers, corporations and entrepreneurs, enabling them to participate in transactions that would have traditionally eluded them due to capital constraints. Canyon’s investment platforms include(a) the Canyon Value Mortgage Funds which originate and/or purchase senior and mezzanine mortgage debt, (b) the Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds, a series of closed-end real estate funds and joint venture with Earvin “Magic” Johnson focusing on inner-city and urban real estate development and (c) the Canyon-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund, a joint venture with Andre Agassi focusing on the development of learning friendly, environmentally responsible charter school facilities for best in class charter school operators.